Victor Manuelle

Over the past decade, Victor Manuelle has risen to become one of tropical music's top talents. He possesses the complete package: good looks, a commanding voice, and a love for the music that is demonstrated by the fact that he writes almost all of his material. For the last several years, he has established himself as salsa's leading young vocalist, and now, with the release of his new album, Travesía, Manuelle is poised to conquer the rest of the Latin pop world.

A record that greatly expands Manuelle's appeal from his dedicated salsa fan base, Travesía--an ambitious, 12-track collaboration with producer Emilio Estefan recorded at Estefan's Crescent Moon Studios--is a landmark accomplishment for the 30-something singer. "We were trying to see how I could reach other markets without forgetting the people who know my music and have brought me success," said Manuelle. "I think my music shouldn't be limited only to a Latin America, but should be heard all over the world."

Travesía is the latest in a long string of hit albums Manuelle has recorded for Sony over the last 11 years. Albums like Justo a Tiempo (1993), Sólo Contigo (1994), Victor Manuelle (1996), A Pesar de Todo (1997), Ironías (1998), Inconfundible (1999), Instinto y Deseo (2001), and last year's Le Preguntaba a la Luna were instrumental in preserving the integrity of a genre that hasn't always aged gracefully. The Puerto Rican singer's emergence in the '90s showed that salsa fans wanted more than just a pretty face-they wanted quality, passion, and originality. A protégé of one of the genre's great voices, Gilberto Santa Rosa, Manuelle perfected his craft alongside greats like Domingo Quiñones, Rey Ruiz, Pupy Santiago, Cheo Feliciano, and Tito Allen.

Manuelle's dedication to learning the craft of being a true sonero was the major accomplishment of those years. A sonero is a lead vocalist of a salsa orchestra who must not only deliver the songs verses with precision, but also improvise on the main theme in the coro section. Manuelle's improvisations, done in the traditional decima format, are legendary in his live appearances-they're what separate him from the run-of-the-mill salsero.

With its driving lead single, "Tengo Ganas," (salsa and a ballad version), Travesía will grab the Latin music world by storm, and not let up. Co-written by Manuelle and Estefan, the song draws on Manuelle's compositional strength, telling a story of how a lost love gets in the way of finding someone new.

But it's also a demonstration of the driving arrangements put together by the brothers Ricardo and Alberto Gaitán (Ricky Martin, Roberto Blades), as well as the precision of the back-up musicians, many of whom Manuelle selected for the project.

"I think that Crescent Moon is more than a company, it's a family," said Manuelle.  "They are people who give their all when they're working with an artist, they give a lot of love, make you feel as if you were at home, and Emilio is an extraordinary human being. When he gives himself to a project he does it with all his heart."

For his new album, Manuelle and Estefan set out to combine his already silky-smooth salsa style with elements of the pop ballad and tropical, Brazilian and reggae-inflected pop. Carlos Vives gave Manuelle the song "Yo te Daré" for the album. "I had to get accustomed to the pop songs, I had to get immersed in them a little bit," said Manuelle. "But I never felt forced and I'm super-comfortable with the results."

On Travesía Manuelle has raised his interpretation of salsa to the highest level, from the folkloric feel of "Pero Quien," to the contemporary "Te Propongo," and finally, "Si Me Preguntan," which has the feel of a Rubén Blades/Willie Colón '70s classic. "On that song we wanted to sound traditional," said Manuelle. "We wanted to bring back people's memories of that era but at the same time with new lyrics and modern elements." Manuelle also collaborates with singer/songwriter Gianmarco, producing a ballad and salsa version of his song "Amarte Es."

Manuelle, who has been recognized with mainstream and Latin Grammy nominations in 2003, and gone multiplatinum on the albums Victor Manuelle, A Pesar de Todo, and Ironías, is truly on the verge of becoming an international star. His appearance with Marc Anthony and Gloria Estefan in a tribute to Celia Cruz at last year's Grammy awards show, and as a special guest at the White House as a part of Hispanic Heritage Month are the latest signs of his impending break-out.

With Travesía, he will reach even greater heights, but without leaving his roots behind.

"We always emphasize that my genre is salsa," said Manuelle, "and at the same time we wanted to expand the audience. We wanted to do the unexpected, even with the choruses. We wanted to mix together different colors, different feelings, and surprise everyone."

After listening to Travesía, it should be no surprise that Victor Manuelle has become one of the most important artists of his generation.